Chapter Text
It wasn't the first (nor would it be the last) time Lyle had snuck into Sam's apartment while he and his group of fellow survivors went out to scavenge. He'd gotten good at knowing when they'd leave and when they'd return to maximize the time he could spend there. What he did there depended on how he felt in the moment. Sometimes he'd curl up on Sam's bed and rest, enjoying the thrill of being in Sam's bed even if it was through dubious means, while other times he'd debate on maybe stealing one of Sam's sweaters that was tucked away in his closet simply because it smelled like him. This time was slightly different however. He'd walked in after waiting for Sam's party to walk far enough away that he felt comfortable sneaking inside after producing the spare key he'd stolen. Some part deep down inside him wanted to stop, really, but he just couldn't help himself. While those thoughts stewed in his head, Lyle didn't even notice the masked face watching from near the kitchen as he walked straight to Sam's room.
So there he was, rifling through Sam's closet (albeit carefully so as to not make it obvious that someone had gone through his stuff, he needed to remain sneaky after all) until he found a sweater that particularly smelled like Sam. His scent was comforting as Lyle practically shoved his upper face into it, soaking it up with a soft sigh. He was entirely oblivious to the shadowy form that had creeped in through the partially open door to Sam's bedroom, silently gliding along the floor as it observed the spider cursed. He'd been nuzzling into the sweater, sniffing at it quite a bit when he felt his skin prickle. It was like the sensation of the hairs on the back of your neck standing on end, just without the hairs. Something was behind him, something had caught him in the act! His many legs scrambled against the flooring as he tried to turn around as fast as possible to confront whatever the looming presence behind him was, only to be greeted by a white smiling mask and a tall shadowy form wearing a cloak of sorts. Lyle nearly stumbled back, a strange overwhelming fear gripping him from whatever that thing looming over him was. A red dot glinted in each eye socket, mimicking pupils, as its gaze swept over the spider cursed.
Weirdly enough, it didn't approach further but instead watched from a few feet away. The masked shadowy figure had an air of curiosity about it as it cocked its head to the side. The fear from getting caught red-handed was merely forgotten in favor of fearing whatever this creature was. Why was it in Sam's house? Surely Sam wasn't in any danger, right? As much as he wanted to be all big and tough to impress Sam, he was honestly too scared to confront the being. He felt too… vulnerable. Anxious clicks and whirrs only punctuated the fear he was gripped with. Maintaining eye contact with the masked shadowy, legs shaky and a bit uncoordinated from his fear, Lyle managed to shuffle out of Sam's room, not bothering to put away the sweater he'd taken out. He'd merely left it on the floor as he backed away slowly out of the apartment. He locked the door and then booked it back to his apartment.
***
Meanwhile the Shadow was left alone in Sam's room, watching where Lyle had anxiously retreated with curiosity. Why did this stranger run away? Was he a friend? If so, there was no reason to leave. Maybe he'd been looking for Sam and left upon realizing he wasn't here? It tried to reason who the stranger was to Sam, naively coming to the conclusion this must be another one of his friends. After all, the apartment was full of friends so it was easy to make that assumption. Shadowy hands gently picked up the sweater that had been left discarded on the floor, observing it with equal curiosity. It had been what Sam's friend was holding, so maybe he'd needed the sweater. Perhaps that friend was cold! That gave the Shadow an idea, one it'd have to leave the apartment for but that could be managed. For now though, it tucked the sweater into its cloak as it took great care to ensure it looked like nothing had ever happened there. Once satisfied, it left Sam's bedroom and melded into the shadows in the corner to traverse to where it planned out already…
***
Back at Lyle's apartment, the spider cursed tried to soothe his nerves from the unnerving encounter. It had been a few hours or so, not nearly long enough for Sam's party to have returned but the idea of going back and running the risk of encountering that shadowy figure again made him sick. The image of that white, smiling mask with red pinpricks of light for eyes in those empty, black sockets made his stomach flip and curl, knots of unease weighing heavy throughout his body. It hadn't been at all aggressive, in fact it had seemed merely curious, yet it provoked such a fear out of him in a way he couldn't explain. He was kicking himself over the fact he'd been too afraid of the thing to actually try and scare it off. For all he knew, it might harm Sam! Yet, his body refused to go back there, shaking like a leaf at the thought of being trapped alone with that being.
Yeah, Sam was going to have to deal with that alone. He loved the man but honestly that was his limit. He hadn't been aware he had a limit, or even that it'd be some masked shadow but here he was, absolutely afraid of exactly that to the point of where he'd let Sam fend it off himself. Ugh he's pathetic for that. Can't even defend his crush on account of being too scared of a stupid, smiling shadow demon! Lyle curled up in his makeshift bed within his darkroom, angrily huffing into the blankets over today as he decided to get some rest. Before drifting off into a restless slumber, he pulled the pillow he'd taped a photo of Sam to into a cuddle. Unfortunately that wouldn't help with the nightmares that would end up taunting him in his sleep.
If only the nightmares were from the Shadow as opposed to the thing that has been plaguing him ever since his form began to warp and change. It was always about his transformation, how his camera fused to his chest, his camera tripod becoming his legs, and his backpack, full of extra film, becoming his abdomen. Lyle would never be able to forget the feeling of his body snapping and changing as he fled to his apartment, becoming something no longer recognizable as human. It haunted his sleep like a vengeful spirit. He remembered fleeing into his darkroom, the only place he felt safe, arms reaching out for a polaroid of Sam hanging above as his arms snapped and extended, stretching impossibly. He couldn't recall how long he'd been in that state, flesh mutating and hair falling out, reaching out in desperation for Sam's photo. That photo was the only thing that let him keep his mind. Sam was the only thing that kept him human.
Lyle awoke with a start, breathing frantic as his skin prickled with unspoken terror. His many eyes flicked open, scanning the darkroom as he clutched the pillow closer to him. He felt for the photo on it, relaxing a slight bit when he felt it. Good, the thing that kept him sane was still there and safe. As the terror wore off, he picked up on a sensation that had been lost in the fear and terror. Something… soft and comforting draped over his front half like a blanket. He reached for whatever it was, pulling it down to look at it when he realized it was Sam's sweater, the one he'd been sniffing earlier in Sam's apartment. It should've comforted him but that meant that thing had gotten into his house, his darkroom, and put it on him. All with him none the wiser.